A slicing machine comprising a chain frame connected to the machine housing is known from DE 10 2008 006 688 B4, for example.
The material to be cut, in particular in electrically operated slicing machines for elongate foods such as sausages, ham, salmon, cheese, etc. is moved towards the cutting device, usually in the x direction perpendicular to the cutting plane in which a rotary circular knife normally rotates in order to cut slices off from the conveyed material to be cut. Said material is cut into slices by the circular knife, which are then picked up by the chain frame and deposited on the deposition table by a slicer.
The thickness of the slices can be preset by moving the stop plate in the x direction.
The stop plate is also usually moved in the x direction into a maximum end movement position so as to be able to clean and/or sharpen the circular knife more easily, for example.
If particularly thick slices are to be cut, for example when cutting meatloaf slices or the like, or if the stop plate is to be moved into its maximum movement position, a conflict of space can occur between the stop plate and, in particular, the chain frame arranged next to said plate.
Therefore, the person operating the slicing machine usually detaches the chain frame first of all, before moving the stop plate into the maximum movement position, in order to make room for the stop plate, and will also re-mount the chain frame on the machine housing after the particular use, i.e. cutting thick slices or cleaning and/or sharpening the circular knife, has finished.
Modern slicing machines now often offer the operator the possibility of being able to select different operating modes via an operator interface, for example. Operating modes can in particular be a normal operating mode for cutting normal slices and a service mode, in which particularly thick slices can be cut and/or the circular knife can be cleaned and/or sharpened. The chain frame is detached from the machine housing in the service mode and is mounted thereon in the normal operating mode.
The difficulty here is that, although some of the operating modes can be selected, when setting the slicing machine to such an operating mode, the operating sequence can be disrupted.
In particular, the chain frame and the stop plate may collide if the operator forgets to detach the chain frame before using the slicing machine in the service mode. This collision can even break the slicing machine. Conversely, normal slices cannot be cut properly if the chain frame has not (yet) been mounted on the machine housing, for example following a service mode.